26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
That's one hefty book you got there!, May 25, 2005
Mary Gentle is widely known for what I like to call "historical fantasy." 1610: A Sundial in a Grave barely meets the definition of fantasy or science fiction, with the only fantastic element being the fact that mathematical precognition is a reality. She's also known as a meticulous researcher, and she shows that again in this book. 1610 is a wonderful book that just starts a little too slow.
1610 is a year of change. Edward Fludd has perfected the mathematics of telling the future. However, he doesn't like what he sees, so he determines to change it. This is the year where that change becomes possible. Valentin Rochefort, a duellist and down on his luck aristocrat, as well as servant to the French spymaster Sully, is having his own problems. He is supposed to set up the assassination of his monarch, Henry IV, but it's designed to be a fake. Too bad for him that it happens to succeed. Disgraced and forced to run, he encounters his nemesis, Dariole, who revels in humiliating him, especially by being 16 years old and able to beat him at swordplay. Dariole ends up running with him, and they both find themselves trapped in Fludd's web. Fludd intends to use Rochefort in an assassination of his own, one that will change the future the way he wants it to be. With the addition of a shipwrecked Japanese samurai, agendas clash, different honor systems conflict, and secrets are revealed. The story goes all over the world, from France to England to Portugal and then to Japan before returning for an intriguing finish. There's even time for a little romance as well.
1610 is written as if it were a computer-generated reconstructed translation of a fire-damaged manuscript written by Rochefort. This allows the "translator" to include other documents as well, so each part (the book is separated into five) begins with something other than his memoirs. Sometimes it's a translator's note or a partially reconstructed entry from Saburo to his Japanese liege-lord. These give us a little bit more background information that Rochefort wouldn't necessarily be privy to, enabling the reader to have a more well-rounded story. It's an effective way to write, and Rochefort makes a wonderful narrator. He's witty and he's not afraid to admit his own mistakes (and there are many). The only thing that's not completely realistic about this is that there is no white-washing whatsoever. There's no effort to make Rochefort look good, which is what would probably happen with anybody else's memoirs. Rochefort's honesty is refreshing, however.
With the book being told in first person, it would have been very easy to make the other characters wooden. Thankfully, Gentle avoids this, with both Dariole and Saburo being superb. The relationship between Dariole and Rochefort is riveting, especially when Dariole's secret is revealed and Rochefort has to adjust. Saburo is fascinating because Japan is an unknown entity at this point, with just a few western explorers having been there. The culture clash between Saburo and Rochefort, and even Dariole to an extent (though Dariole seems a lot more willing to learn from Saburo, being only 16 and impressionable) makes a good subplot to the main action. It gets even more interesting when Saburo has to choose between duty to his leader and duty to the man who saved his life. Gentle handles all of these differing cultures admirably, showing again how detailed her research is.
The only bad thing I have to say about the book is that the beginning is horribly slow. I almost gave up on it after 60 pages, especially when a bizarre sexual encounter took place. I was beginning to wonder if this is the type of book that I'm not interested in reading. I persevered, though, and discovered a rich, yet clearly adult, novel with wonderful prose and fascinating characters. Once Rochefort and Dariole leave Paris, the book takes off at a frenetic yet leisurely pace. I know that doesn't appear to make sense, but the story seems to be moving even when Gentle is pausing for breath. 1610 is a book that's hard to put down, even during these breaks. When there's no action, there are still plenty of ideas being put forward, or beautiful character interaction to keep the reader entertained.
I have to reiterate that this is definitely an adult novel. There are some sexual situations in it, as well as some adult concepts. As long as that doesn't bother you, 1610 is a wonderful book.
David Roy
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
very strong chord, very fast reading, December 24, 2005
I also picked up the book because the jacket referred to Dunnett - but I liked it more than the reader before me who gave it 1 star. The history is quite good, taking place in the time after Henri IV's assasination in France. A trio of interesting characters fleeing repercussions of the assasination travels to the England of James I (shortly after Queen Elizabeth's reign). They get involved in plots by the mathematical wizard Dr. Robert Fludd who hopes to save the world from a comet that he's predicted will destroy the world 500 years in the future. Fludd's calculations of how current events will influence the future is quite well done - there are lots of veiled references to historical events that we are quite familiar with, like dropping atomic bombs on Japan. The time covered by the novel covered is only 2 years, and the author uses broad brush strokes, so the historical time and events are very easy to follow.
The story is quite simple - mostly a love story between the narrator Rochefort the spy and Dariole the duellist. The only other substantial character is a Japanese samurai who provides a great foil, entertainment and an outsider's view on the smelly European gaijin. What makes the novel most interesting and different is the complex characterization of Rochefort - although his life has not been above reproach, he is loyal and wise, and capable of great love and sacrifice. It's a nice touch, and well handled, and he's a great character.
That being said, the elements of the story are simple enough that they are repeated again and again in the nearly 700 pages. Maybe it could have been a great book if it were half the size. And then, I suppose some of us are always looking for the next Dunnett, hoping to plunge for months into complex histories and gargantuan casts of fully realized characters - Mary Gentle's not in the same league, but she's very good.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Duelling positions: ethics, gender roles, love and more, August 23, 2005
Mary Gentle's "A Sundial in a Grave: 1610" turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I am not usually a fan of fantasay novels, nor conspiracy novels, but I do love historical fiction & had run out of books by other favorite authors when I found this one. The first 50 or so pages were slow going; the details seemed too thick. The relationships which evolved from this slow start and the rather uncomfortable introductions to new characters ended up holding my interest. Gentle's ability to show the full human spectrum of good and bad in her characters, and to address difficult ethical questions, made this truly enjoyable. Some readers may be disturbed by her gender bending, and by her blunt depictions of sexuality at the time (the courts of 17th century England and France did not adhere to such strict codes regarding gender and sexual conduct as modern day US society). Readers more familiar with the time and historical characters will appreciate it for what it is and understand the relevance. The inclusion of Saburo, a Nihonese Samurai, was also fantastic - both for the inclusion of some history less known to Westerners, and for the fantastic character development and dialogue she created for him. Overall I found this a very enjoyable, and by the end, a tender story.
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